Alumni Involvement
One of the most potentially valuable aspects of the Scholar Ship experience was considered to be the tight knit, international community created by some of the students, staff and faculty on board. Following the inaugural voyage in September 2007, the Scholar Ship established “The Bridge”, an alumni network designed to maintain this community by keeping past students, staff, and faculty connected through technology.
One component of the Bridge is a 24/7 chat room called the Cove. It is designated for exclusive use by shipmates of specific voyages. Alumni can also choose to join an online community called interculture. Interculture is a connecting point for alumni, current and prospective students, as well as staff, faculty and the balance of the Scholar Ship community.
The Scholar Ship offered alumni newsletters and updates, but the community itself has many outlets of self-expression. The September 2007 class published a photo book entitled Hononga that sought to capture the journey through images by staff and students alike. Blogging is a common way for some alumni, staff, faculty and current students of the Scholar Ship to tell their stories. They also utilize the Bridge as a media sharing portal for the group. FotoShare and the Scholar Ship Video Library allow posting, organizing, and sharing of pictures and videos. The Bridge also provides an official alumni directory with the capability to create and update personal profiles so alumni, staff and faculty can keep in contact.
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